"I could rent this place out for 250,000 francs ($500) a month, but I prefer to keep Billal and my sheep here," says Ndiaye, 60, sporting a royal blue boubou as he strokes the head of the sheep he hopes will become a reality television star.

Some context: I just got back from Peace Corps Senegal. Our per diem for Dakar was 7,000 CFA ($14)/day, but that was really just a luxury that gave us beer money; we only needed 1500-2000 CFA tops. And anywhere else in the country, 500 CFA would be more than enough. Lots of locals spendSo what this guy is saying is he spends a year's income or more for a villager each month to keep his sheep happy. That's like someone in the US spending maybe $25,000 a month on on their cats. It's insane.